I love to ride most anything with two wheels. And believe it or not, I love the Summer in Arizona because the Sun rises early and I can get on one of my bicycles and do some real thinking. On my ride this morning it occurred to me that I experience a ton of indifference when it comes to marketing small and mid size businesses. Indifference when it comes to marketing your business is expensive. Really expensive. Let me give you three simple examples.

1. I suggested to a friend of mine who recently launched her own law practice that she should talk with us about redesigning her website. Her current site looks like it was designed by someone who could care less about reflecting proper positioning and brand. It reflects poorly on the new practice because when people look at it they will likely think, “Gee, this site looks lame. I guess the owners don’t care enough to invest in a quality website. I wonder what if this reflects how they practice law?” It’s not that people will tell you they think your website is lame or your brochure stinks. They’ll just think it. Now that’s expensive.

2. Virtually every business that cares about marketing has a website. But it appears that just having a website seems to be enough. Entrepreneurs need to be clear on the purpose of their website. It’s not enough to have a decent, static online brochure for our clients. The purpose of WealthNet websites is to generate traffic, leads, and earn permission to market so we can attract and keep tons of new business. So if your site is just sitting there and no one really knows how to find it, what purpose is it really serving? Lack of purpose gets expensive and it’s often a function of not knowing well enough or being indifferent.

3. A friend of mine is a world-class golf professional. He works his butt off teaching all day long. He has a beautiful site. But no ecommerce. No blog. No way of converting visitors to paying customers unless they send him an email or call him and he makes the time to follow up and generate new revenue. Most golf professionals trade time for money. So do consultants. Why not have a website that integrates a strategy that can generate revenue without getting out of bed to teach or consult? Again, it’s either a matter of knowing what needs to be done or being indifferent.

My plea to all entrepreneurs is avoid indifference at all costs. It’s too expensive. Build websites with purpose. Care about your brand and the image you project. Run your business with integrity. And be the best you can possibly be to shine above the competition.

Clifford Jones, Founder
WealthNet Partners, LLC
“Discover The Art of Business Development”
Scottsdale, Arizona